Having the host broadcast network’s late-night star host the show has become standard operating procedure, so it would be much bigger news were ABC not talking to Kimmel about the gig. He got good reviews when he hosted in 2012, which was the last time ABC broadcast the ceremony.

Among its benefits, hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards gives the host great exposure to a larger primetime crowd, though it’s a tough gig, being long and live. On the other hand, the host is only called upon to helm the ceremony once every four years, what with the Emmys rotating among the Big Four broadcast networks.

Last fall’s Emmy ceremony, on Fox, was hosted by Andy Samberg, because Fox had no late-night host and Samberg is an SNL alum and star of Fox’s primetime comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Since then, Deadline reported earlier this month, Fox has jumped back into late-night, announcing a sketch-comedy series from Samberg and his Lonely Island colleagues to launch in March on Saturday nights.

The 2014 Emmy broadcast, on NBC, was hosted by Late Night host Seth Meyers; Jimmy Fallon hosted for NBC in 2010; and Conan O’Brien in 2006. However, the 2013 Emmy Awards ceremony, on CBS, was hosted by How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris, who was a frequent live-trophy-show host for the network, being very very good at it, though CBS had late-night hosts David Letterman and Craig Ferguson at the time. Harris also hosted the Emmys in 2009.

Contacted for comment, ABC declined. Word of ABC’s talks with Kimmel first was reported by Variety.

5 Comments

Great. kimmel is the best. Very funny and entertaining. A real professional.
Very classey.

Anonymous • on Feb 23, 2016 6:30 pm

thats classy with a Brooklyn accent.

Travis Speak • on Feb 23, 2016 6:08 pm

CBS’s reasons for not using Letterman or Ferguson are well-known: Letterman was never going to agree to host another awards show after his Oscars experience, and CBS never really knew what they had with Ferguson, and failed to appreciate and use his value and his talents. They let him do his show in a bubble and left him alone for 9 years, only remembering he was there when Letterman decided to retire.